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Eric Weiner

The Geography of Bliss Paperback – January 5, 2009

by Eric Weiner (Author)

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Now a new series on Peacock with Rainn Wilson, THE GEOGRAPHY OF BLISS is part travel memoir, part humor, and part twisted self-help guide that takes the viewer across the globe to investigate not what happiness is, but WHERE it is.

Are people in Switzerland happier because it is the most democratic country in the world? Do citizens of Qatar, awash in petrodollars, find joy in all that cash? Is the King of Bhutan a visionary for his initiative to calculate Gross National Happiness? Why is Asheville, North Carolina so damn happy?

In a unique mix of travel, psychology, science and humor, Eric Weiner answers those questions and many others, offering travelers of all moods some interesting new ideas for sunnier destinations and dispositions.

Print length

345 pages
Language

English
Publication date

January 5, 2009
Dimensions

5.25 x 0.92 x 8 inches
ISBN-10

044669889X
ISBN-13

978-0446698894
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From the Publisher

Editorial Reviews

Review

"With one single book, Eric Weiner has flushed Bill Bryson down a proverbial toilet, and I say that lovingly. By turns hilarious and profound, this is the kind of book that could change your life. The relationship between place and contentment is an ineffable one, and Weiner cuts through the fog with a big, powerful light. The Geography of Bliss is no smiley-face emoticon, it's a Winslow Homer."
―Henry Alford, author of Municipal Bondage and Big Kiss

"Part travelogue, part personal-discovery memoir and all sustained delight, this wise, witty ramble reads like Paul Theroux channeling David Sedaris on a particularly good day..... Fresh and beguiling."

―Kirkus Reviews

"Laugh. Think. Repeat. Repeatedly. If someone told me this book was this good, I wouldn't have believed them."―Po Bronson, author of What Should I Do With My Life?

"Think Don Quixote with a dark sense of humor and a taste for hashish and you begin to grasp Eric Weiner, the modern knight-errant of this mad, sad, wise, and witty quest across four continents. I won't spoil the fun by telling if his mission succeeds, except to say that happiness is reading a book as entertaining as this."―Tony Horwitz, author of Confederates in the Attic

About the Author

Eric Weiner is author of the New York Times bestseller The Geography of Bliss, which has been translated into eighteen languages. A former correspondent for NPR and the New York Times, Weiner has reported from more than three dozen countries. His work has appeared in the New Republic, Slate, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Foreign Policy, the New York Times Magazine, and the anthology, Best American Travel Writing. He divides his time between Starbucks and Caribou.

Read more about Eric Weiner at www.ericweinerbooks.com.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Twelve; Reprint edition (January 5, 2009)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 345 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 044669889X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0446698894
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.4 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.25 x 0.92 x 8 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #16,956 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #16 in Travel Writing Reference
- #39 in Travelogues & Travel Essays
- #326 in Happiness Self-Help

Customer Reviews:
4.3 1,933 ratings

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Eric Weiner

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Eric Weiner is author of the New York Times bestsellers The Geography of Bliss and The Geography of Genius, as well as the critically acclaimed Man Seeks God and, his latest book, The Socrates Express: In Search of Life Lessons from Dead Philosophers. A former foreign correspondent for NPR, he has reported from more than three dozen countries. His work has appeared in the New Republic, The Atlantic, National Geographic, The Wall Street Journal, and the anthology "Best American Travel Writing." He lives in Silver Spring, MD with his wife and daughter. For more information, visit: www.ericweinerbooks.com

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5

1,933 global ratings

5 star		57%
4 star		27%
3 star		11%
2 star		3%
1 star		2%

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Camber

A Genuine Masterpiece!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 10, 2009

Verified Purchase

If you're interested in the study of happiness, this book is for you. If you're interested in cultural geography, this book is also for you. And if you're interested in both of these subjects (like me), this book may very well be a dream come true for you, the kind of book you always wished someone would write, but doubted that it would happen.

This is actually one of the very best books I've ever come across on ANY subject. Eric Weiner is a spellbinding storyteller who kept me on the edge of my seat as I listened to his tales of world travels in a quest to understand happiness. Along the way, he effortlessly draws on an impressive erudition as he seamlessly weaves in insights not only from the "science" of happiness, but also a diverse range of relevant philosophy (both Western and Eastern) and other disciplines. And last but not least, though he claims that he's unhappy and calls himself a grump, he's very likable, very witty, and VERY funny!

While it would be great if Weiner could end the book by presenting a simple magic key to happiness, those of us who have already traveled similar roads ourselves know that such an expectation/hope is probably unrealistic. Instead, we learn (or are reminded) that the truth appears to be more subtle and complex. For example: (a) happiness isn't a "thing" we can capture (like money), and it's remarkably hard to pin down just what happiness actually is, (b) there appear to be many roads to happiness (whatever it is), both personally and culturally, and finding a road that suits you seems to be important, (c) happiness may be something that just happens to us, based on how we live our multifaceted lives, rather than something we can deliberately pursue (again, like money), and (d) our proper highest aims may be different from happiness or may transcend it, and seem to involve relationships and love.

But don't let the above conclusions underwhelm you or steer you away from this book. Weiner unfolds a richly enlightening and entertaining tapestry which is not to be missed and goes beyond anything which can be adequately compressed into a summary, as is the case with all great literature. No, this book isn't an exhaustive or systematic study of either happiness or cultural geography, nor does it pretend to be, but it does offer a uniquely valuable contribution positioned at the intersection of these subjects.

Finally, please note that I joined Weiner on this journey via the 12-hour unabridged audiobook, and I found it to be a perfect format for this book, narrated flawlessly and sincerely by Weiner himself. So I especially recommend the audiobook, though I plan to read the print version also (yes, this book is that good).

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

Kindle Customer

Unhappy Man Has Fun Seeking Happy Place

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 6, 2008

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Author, Eric Weiner, is mired in the bad-news business of journalism. As a correspondent for National Public Radio he has reported from Miami, New Delhi, Jerusalem, Afghanistan, Tokyo, and Iraq. He has covered wars and conflicts. He has won awards for coverage of Islamic issues in Asia and the tobacco industry in the U.S. He has focused on a lot of bad stuff--which often seems the modern definition of news. It is no wonder that he openly cops to being unhappy.

Weiner's quest here is to find a place and conditions that might cheer him up. He apparently considers only slightly the fact that any place he goes, he takes his unhappy self with him. The sub-title, One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World, sets the stage.

Can the conditions of place cause or at least contribute to happiness? My personal experience and letters from readers says yes. I confined my search to the contiguous 48 states; travelholic Weiner takes us to nine more countries.

First to The Netherlands and the World Database of Happiness to learn what Ruut Veenhoven, "the godfather of happiness research" knows. On to Switzerland, where the natives feel more than contentment but less than joy. Thence to Bhutan, where the king has proclaimed Gross National Happiness; Qatar, where each new husband gets a $7,000 monthly allowance, a building lot and a no-interest home loan; Iceland, where we learn that colder is happier; Moldova, "the least happy nation on the planet" according to Veenhoven's data; Thailand, where keeping the long view of life creates much joking and laughter; Great Britain, where culture hinders happiness; India, a destination happy place; and then back home to Miami, where all that sunshine leaves our author cold.

We learn that money wealth gives but a small edge. America is the richest country the world has ever known, yet our self-help bookshelves sag. As poet-laureate, Charles Simic, noted in a recent interview: "It's an industry. It's really frightening. People need to read a book on how to be happy? It's completely an American thing."

Lucky for we readers, Weiner (pronounced whiner, poor guy) has a happy sense of humor that has survived the negative focus of journalism. The Geography of Bliss is a fun read, a lively travelogue of ideas, a mind tickler, a book that fulfills its purpose.

What I take from this entertaining tome is that a myriad of factors contribute to happiness: society, culture, community, biophilia, relationships, belonging, trust, openness, creativity, action, flexibility, unpredictability, altruism, a healthy balance of comparative feelings, hedonism, but not too much, and money, but just a bit. And, yes, place--if it allows these things.

On my writing studio wall is a framed piece of calligraphy that sums it up for me. It reads: "The grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, someone to love and something to hope for." (Joseph Addison--1672-1719)

55 people found this helpful

Helpful

The Geography of Bliss

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 17, 2020

Verified Purchase

Weiner has always been in search of elusive happiness. And his work as a journalist often took him to places that weren't so happy. So he decides to do a different kind of investigation, he wants to look at countries that are ranked high in happiness (and some that aren't) and determine what is going on there.

In this book he recounts his visits to several countries, like Iceland, Bhutan, India, Moldova, and others. While there he talks to various people or visits sites to learn about their happiness and why they think they are as happy as they are (or aren't). He also partakes in some of the activities the countries are known for to judge his own happiness while at the locale.

Overall, I think this is an interesting book. The choices he made to visit and the rationale behind them seem solid enough, and I enjoyed his descriptions. That being said though, they're just glimpses. I think in order to truly live or understand happiness at these places, it might take more than just a few weeks. It's still an engaging effort though.

Interesting read and definitely not your normal travel book. Instead of fixating on sites and sights, it's more about the interaction with the people and their feelings.

Review by M. Reynard 2020

7 people found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Rebecca Wemyss

Must read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on May 2, 2019

Verified Purchase

Absolutely loved this book, it made me fall in love with non-fiction and also inspired me to travel to Bhutan. The premise of researching happiness is fascinating and the author writes extremely well balancing facts and opinions in an entertaining way. Highly reccommend for anyone who loves travel, psychology or culture.

One person found this helpful

veggie girls

Wonderful book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on October 18, 2014

Verified Purchase

what an excellent read...i'd save it for my luxurious bath night, and chuckle away as I soaked. Such a great exploration into happiness, what it is and how we seek/achieve it in our unique ways across the globe. I often give up on books, so this was a rarity that I stick with it and enjoyed looking forward to coming back to the next chapter.

JMay

Loved this.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on August 18, 2014

Verified Purchase

Brilliant book. The author really gives a good insight into every country that he visits, rather than just sticking strictly to his 'scientific' premise. Only gave him 4 stars instead of 5 because he's strangely harsh on the British- we're really not as gloomy as he makes out!

One person found this helpful

Customer

Funny and insightful

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on September 7, 2017

Verified Purchase

I really enjoyed reading this book. Lots of interesting facts about different countries and cultures and how the concept of happiness is perceived. Good read and funny.

Al

Hilarious book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 5, 2017

Verified Purchase

Brilliant book - often makes me laugh out loud! Easy to dip in and out of the discrete chapters too. Highly recommended!

See all reviews

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